Cyan Stone Marketplace!
Finally here!
Looking at this luxurious market, Qi Ping was filled with emotion.
Who would have thought that once upon a time, even going to the Cyan Stone Marketplace would require such meticulous preparation?
In the past, under the management of the Cyan Origin Sect, even as a Tier One cultivator, he didnāt need to worry about safety. Times have surely changed...
Luckily, this time with the high-speed ring-cutting bees paving the way, Qi Ping encountered no danger on the road.
Stepping into this marketplace once again, Qi Ping felt none of the initial trepidation.
As long as he didnāt provoke several Foundation Establishment cultivators or trigger the Cyan Stone Marketplaceās defense array, he was essentially safe.
In line with his cautious nature, Qi Ping maintained the appearance of a beekeeper wearing a small straw hat.
Upon entering the marketplace, Qi Ping clearly noticed how much quieter it had become.
Qi Ping thought to himself, with both the Tribulation cultivators and the demonic insects around, how could anyone do good business in such an environment?
However, Qi Ping did not dwell on it much and headed straight for High Bossās Zhiyuan Trading Company. Upon first entering the Immortal Cultivation Realm, he had foolishly thought he could find bargains, only to end up wasting a lot of spirit stones and becoming the butt of jokes by old man Zhou.
Thinking back on it now, Qi Ping felt quite embarrassed.
Cyan Stone Marketplace wasnāt very large, so it didnāt take Qi Ping long to reach Zhiyuan Trading Companyās entrance.
At first glance, there werenāt many customers inside the shop, just High Boss dozing off at the counter, looking like he had fallen asleep some time ago.
"High Boss! Wake up!" Qi Ping called softly after entering the shop.
"Hmm...?"
Hearing the voice, High Boss slowly awakened. Upon seeing it was Qi Ping, he cheerfully said:
"Itās brother Qi? Ah... I slept too deeply... Let me make you some tea!"
"Alright!"
After a brief moment, High Boss poured Qi Ping a cup of snow red tea, and the two started chatting.
On a hot summer day, a cup of snow-cold red tea was truly refreshing.
"Ah... Brother Qi, I apologize for my rudeness just now. Lately, with the Tribulation cultivators and demonic insects, we havenāt had any customers for days, business is tough..."
High Boss sighed, his expression full of helplessness. Who would have thought thereād be a demonic insect chaos?
"Indeed, these days outside, some have left, some have died, Cyan Stone County is much calmer now. Especially since the demonic insects appeared, so many people have left, even Fatty Zhou and Brother Shan went back to the mortal world..."
"Theyāre all gone? Ah! I tell you, it used to be so crowded outside, we could barely manage... Speaking of demonic insects, the Murong family actually had a Foundation Establishment cultivator poisoned to death by a Tier One demonic insect! Isnāt that strange?"
"Foundation Establishment cultivators died?" Qi Ping was visibly shocked, not having heard this news before.
"Indeed. If even a Foundation Establishment master has died, how can us ordinary people cope? Itās tough now, after paying rents with earned spirit stones, thereās hardly anything left..."
And thatās considered good, with High Bossās shop having relatively low rent and many regular customers. Those relying on traffic with high rent spots are really struggling.
...
Perhaps both were in a mood for chatting, and after a good while, Qi Ping turned the conversation to business matters.
"High Boss, have you gotten any leads on the spirit beasts I asked you to investigate last time?"
"Hehe, let me tell you, since it hasnāt been busy, Iāve been wandering around chatting with friends. I have a few friends in this business, and Iām aware of nearly all the spirit beasts for sale in Cyan Stone County now!"
Saying this, a hint of confidence appeared on High Bossās plump face.
"Impressive, High Boss!"
Upon hearing High Bossās words, Qi Ping felt reassured.
After all, if he couldnāt find a suitable spirit beast this way, it would truly be troublesome!
"Brother Qi, youāre too kind. I donāt have any other skills, just trying to make a living in the market... Based on your previous request, for two to three hundred spirit stones, there is a Tier One intermediate Wind Spirit Sparrow..."
But as High Boss started introducing it, Qi Ping interrupted him.
Because ordinary Tier One spirit beasts no longer served his purpose; he was looking for Tier One spirit beasts with special talents or Tier Two spirit beasts.
An animal companion is the foundation of his Immortal Cultivation; now, even if he must sell everything or part with the Blood Ginseng, he must find an excellent spirit beast. Prior lowering his standards for spirit beasts was purely for survival.
Now equipped with life-saving transformation methods, still seeking low-level spirit beasts out of fear of any risk begs the question, whatās the point of cultivating immortality?
As long as he doesnāt provoke Foundation Establishment cultivators, itās fine, and ordinary Blood Ginseng may only attract Mid-stage Qi Refining or Late-stage Qi Refining cultivators, which makes no difference. Qi Ping is still confident in dealing with cultivators of this level.
What Qi Ping needs to do now is to find the most suitable animal companion within a controllable risk range.
"High Boss, Iām looking for spirit beasts worth over a thousand spirit stones. Ordinary low-level ones are out of the question..."
Qi Pingās words left High Boss momentarily stunned.
"Over a thousand spirit stones?" High Boss questioned, uncertain.
He wondered if he had heard correctly.
"Yes, over a thousand spirit stones." Qi Ping confirmed, facing High Bossās incredulity.
"Brother Qi, you really have changed in three days, worthy of a new look... Let me sort out the information on spirit beasts over a thousand..."
High Boss sighed but didnāt delve deeper, instead organizing the information on spirit beasts as Qi Ping requested.
Itās taboo to inquire into customersā secrets, especially when it involves fortunes.
"Alright!" Qi Ping agreed with a nod.
Qi Ping wasnāt concerned about how High Boss felt. Provoking Foundation Establishment powerhouses seemed unlikely, and even if they came, he could flee in advance; as for Qi Refining stage foes, if they were of average strength, Qi Ping would eagerly accept their storage bags.
After about a cup of teaās time, High Boss finally spoke slowly:
"Brother Qi, currently, in the Qingshi Way, there arenāt many spirit beasts for sale. Of those over a thousand spirit stones that I know of, there are seven kinds..."
"The first is the Jade Scale Demon Spider, a Tier One high-level with a very strong danger perception talent..."
"The second is the Li Fire Crow, a Tier Two low-level with the talents of Fire Separation Body and Great Sun Perception..."
"The third is the Illusory Moon White Fox, a Tier Two low-level, estimated to be at least two thousand spirit stones and possesses rather exceptional comprehension and illusion talents..."
"The fourth is the Shadow Snake, Tier Two low-level, skilled in assassination, with talents like shadow and extreme speed..."
...
After carefully listening to High Bossās detailed description, Qi Ping gained a general understanding of the spirit beasts for sale within the Qingshi Way. He identified three that were most suitable for him from the seven types:
First, the Jade Scale Demon Spider.
[Species: Jade Scale Demon Spider]
[Bloodline: Tier One High-level]
[Talents: Danger Perception, Jade Scale, Highly Poisonous Spider Silk]
Danger Perception: The ability to predict potential dangers effectively...